When someone comes down with a new health symptom, they are typically advised not to self-diagnose using the internet. Resorting to Dr. Google could lead to inaccurate diagnosis, incorrect treatments or increased anxiety.
But new research published in JAMA Network Open suggests that online investigations for health information actually lead to slightly more accurate diagnoses.
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Using the internet to self-diagnose that weird rash on your arm is fairly common. But the verdict is still out on whether or not direct-to-consumer diagnostic apps are effective or safe, according to a new review published in the journal Diagnosis.
“Apps were found to vary widely in functionality, accuracy, safety and effectiveness, although the usefulness of this evidence was limited by a...
Asking "Dr. Google" about a medical problem isn't just a questionable way to get good answers -- it's also a potential security risk, according to research by Tim Libert, a University of Pennsylvania doctoral student, who was recently featured on NPR's All Tech Considered.
"Anything that is happening on the web today is pretty much completely unregulated," Libert told NPR's Robert Siegel. "There...
Source: Ruder Finn mHealth Report
Several surveys were released this past week at -- or coinciding with -- HIMSS, focusing on different areas of consumer engagement in digital health. The Atlantic surveyed 1,000 US residents, finding that only 12 percent had emailed or texted their doctors. A Ruder Finn survey of more than 1,000 US adults found that 16 percent of smartphone and tablet users...
When it comes to looking for health information online, consumers have had fairly consistent behaviors over the past 12 years. A new report, Online Health 2013, from The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that of the 81 percent of US adults who use the internet, 72 percent have gone online to look for health information in the past year. Some 59 percent of that...
